


did you know that that boy is an armed man?

by moxie_girl



Series: what happened to your good sense [3]
Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: (chpt 2), (ig he is dead rn?), (jason), (joker), Angst, Bruce Wayne Kills Joker (DCU), Bruce Wayne is a Good Parent, Character Death, Gen, Happy ending (ish?), Implied/Referenced Character Death, Presumed Dead Jason Todd, Short, Two Shot, a little darker, but no warning bcuz theres no major violence (i promise), in this house bruce cares more about his sons than a stupid rule, mentioned Pamela Isley/Harleen Quinzel, no beta we die like jason todd, part of a series, rated teen for that, screw canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-29
Updated: 2021-01-31
Packaged: 2021-03-13 13:01:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 757
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29029128
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moxie_girl/pseuds/moxie_girl
Summary: bruce’s interaction with the joker, days after jason’s death(part of a series. you can readthisfirst but you don't have to)
Relationships: Dick Grayson & Bruce Wayne, Jason Todd & Bruce Wayne
Series: what happened to your good sense [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2124639
Comments: 5
Kudos: 60





	1. confrontations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is a little darker!  
> just a short snippet i wanted to share  
> warning: joker dies  
> it's not described very much tho

The Joker escaped. His son’s _murderer_ escaped. Bruce can barely keep his anger contained. It’s only been a few weeks since- since the Joker was arrested, and already he’s out again. 

Right now, Bruce is standing on top of the abandoned warehouse Joker is holed up in, and really, how much more cliché can he get?

Bruce just hopes he can keep a level head long enough to re-capture him.

Then, when that _monster_ is back in the asylum where he belongs, Bruce Wayne can make a sizable donation to Arkham and hope that this time, the arrest sticks. 

Taking another deep, calming breath, he swings down into the warehouse.

* * *

Predictably, things go south.

The Joker is taunting him. The man who killed Jason is standing right in front of him, and he’s _taunting_ him.

“I would have thought you trained your little birdies better than that, Batsy!” he giggles, and Bruce clenches his jaw as Joker swings around a rusty red crowbar.

“The littlest one only lasted a few hours with Uncle J and his friend,” he cackles and waves the crowbar, “I wonder how much _bonding time_ I could get with the bluebird?” 

Bruce can’t keep himself under control anymore. Joker is laughing that insane laugh, and the way he’s talking about his _sons-_

Bruce sees **_red_ **.

* * *

It’s only later, as he watches the Joker get carried away on a stretcher, that he actually processes what just happened. He’s sitting on a rooftop next to Nightwing, who’s currently watching the ambulances drive away.

Bruce looks down at the blood staining his gloves. He lost control. He did what he said he’d never do.

“What have I _done_.”

Dick looks over to him and grabs his shaking hands.

“What you needed to.”

* * *

(That night, Clark Kent is settling down to watch a movie when he hears the beginning of the confrontation. He thinks about interfering, but Lois is on the couch next to him, and they’re watching one of his favorites. Besides, it will be good for Bruce.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> idk if this is how anything happened in canon. i know batman almost killed joker once before superman interfered. i have never read a batman comic and don't feel like using google. the timeline is already messed up i dont care.
> 
> constructive criticisms welcome!


	2. aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the aftermath.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wrapping up this fic on a lighter note (ish)  
> sorry for how short it is i didn't have any other ideas

The Joker is dead. He died of his wounds in the hospital. Bruce suspects that the doctors didn’t try very hard to save him, but he doesn’t exactly have the moral high ground here. The Joker is dead, and Bruce killed him.

Not that he’s regretful. Nobody’s regretful. Not even the other Rogues seem to miss him. There haven’t been any attacks in a week, and it seems like most of the major villains are joining the festivities. 

Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy have been caught on a few dates recently, and there was a thing about that, but Bruce doesn’t care. 

* * *

Nobody seems to be mad at Batman for it either. There are no articles about how he broke his one rule (the one everyone knows), no conspiracy threads about why he did it, no warrants for his arrest on the grounds of murder. 

The calm is almost terrifying. There are so many people praising him for finally killing Joker, so many who came up to him on patrols to thank him. 

Commissioner Gordon had pulled him aside after a recent arrest, thanking him from himself and Babs for making the city safer.

It hurts how easy it was to kill Joker, and it hurts how happy everyone is now. If he’d only had the guts to do it earlier, Babs wouldn’t be in a wheelchair. If he’d only had the guts to do it earlier, Jason would still be  _ alive _ . 

* * *

There’s a parade. Two weeks after the Joker is declared dead, the city throws a parade. It’s a huge affair, with floats and celebration, and even the Scarecrow shows up to celebrate. The city is happier, lighter than it’s been in decades. 

It’s lavish and crazy and goes on for two full days before people run out of steam. Bruce suspects the whole thing was paid for from funds not used to clean up after Joker attacks. 

He tries to watch the parade, but it  _ hurts _ . Jason used to love parades and Bruce can almost imagine him snuggled up on the couch next to him, watching the marching bands and commenting on each of the floats. 

It hurts too much, so Bruce shuts the TV off and pushes on like he always does.

* * *

(About six months later, Bruce is curled up on the couch with Dick pressed into one side and Jason the other. They watch the parade together, and Jason ranks all the parade floats out of 10. Bruce can’t believe how lucky he is.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this whole thing was really an excuse to write the that bit @ the end  
> (youre welcome for a happy ending)
> 
> comments welcome! i crave human interaction! let me know if you spot any typos!


End file.
